Melbourne is finally poised to join other Australian cities in the tap-and-go era, with the state government confirming public trials for contactless credit and debit card payments will launch for suburban rail commuters on Monday.

Commuters on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines will be the first to test the technology, allowing them to bypass the physical Myki card in favour of paying via a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch.

Melbourne has prided itself on having the world’s largest tram network, but its ticketing technology has been a point of frustration for locals and tourists.

Sydney pioneered the tap-and-go technology almost a decade ago in 2017. Perth and Brisbane both finalised their city-wide contactless networks in late 2025, and Adelaide completed its train rollout last month.

But the Melbourne rollout was far from comprehensive.

The Allan government said only the four specified lines – including stations in the city loop – will offer the tap and go technology during the trial, to run through March and April.

Passengers transferring to trams or buses outside these zones would still need a Myki card – failing to use one outside the trial area would result in a fine.

The technology would only support full adult fares, so seniors, students and healthcare card holders must also stick to their Myki cards if they wish to still receive their discounted rates.

Victoria’s transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, said the limited public trial would help “make it quicker and easier for passengers to travel”, before the technology was rolled out across the network.

“This public trial will ensure we have full confidence in the technology before it’s rolled out across the entire network,” Williams said.

As part of the trial, colour-coded ticket readers and barriers will be used guide commuters on the trial lines to the new technology and authorised officers will be present across the network to assist with the transition.

The Victorian government first promised the new technology in 2023, saying at the time that the state “will now reach the 21st century”. At the time, it was suggested the technology would be rolled out over the following two years.

The Allan government has attributed the delay in getting the tap-and-go technology to the massive scale of replacing infrastructure across the state. Nearly 3,000 new ticket readers were installed at 280 stations late last year to support the transition, which is being managed by the global transport firm Conduent.

The trial becomes a milestone for the government’s $1.7bn ticketing overhaul, a project aimed at modernising a system that has long trailed behind its interstate counterparts.